TO A. G. SHLYAPNIKOV

Written:Written on September 19, 1915Published:First published in 1924 inLenin Miscellany II.

      Sent from Sörenberg to Stockholm.

      Printed from the original.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1971,

      Moscow,Volume 36,

      pages354-355.Translated:Andrew RothsteinTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive.You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work, as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.

September 19

DearAlexander,

Wehave received your letters telling us about the good
working of the transport arrangements, and were
extremely glad of them. As regards the literature at Vardö,
try to get hold of and saveeverything: send us the files ofProletaryandVperyod; we can also make use of the pamphlets
(the old ones, of 1905); it will be worth while sending them
to Russia, now that there is a possibility of transport in
general.[2]

YesterdayI read in the foreign press the news of the “
dispersal ” of the Duma. It is clear that the reactionaries are
either frightened by the bloc of the Left, or are banking
on some “military” chances (perhaps a separate peace?).
Our attitude to the chauvinist revolutionaries (like
Kerensky and part of the Social-Democrat liquidators or patriots)
cannot, in my opinion, be expressed by the formula of “
support”. The gulf between the chauvinist revolutionaries
(revolution for victory over Germany) and the proletarian
internationalist revolutionaries (revolution to awaken the
proletariat of other countries, to unite it in a general
proletarian revolution) is too wide for there to be any question
of support. We mustutiliseevery protest (even a timid
and muddled one,à laGorky), we shallutilisethe
revolutionary work of the chauvinists too, and depending on the
circumstances shall not reject “joint action” (in keeping
with our Party’s resolutions adopted in 1907, at the
London Congress, and in 1913, at our
conference),[3]but
nothing beyond that. At the moment, in practice: we shall not
issue joint appeals and manifestos with the revolutionarypatriots, we shallavoidDuma “blocs” with them, avoid
“unity” with them when speaking at congresses, during
demonstrations and the like. Buttechnicalmutual services,
if the patriots go along, will probably be possible (as with
the liberals before 1905), and we shall not reject them. Our
relations must bestraightforward and clear-cut: you want
to overthrow tsarism for victory over Germany, we want
to do so for the international revolution of the proletariat.

Wehave incredibly little information from Russia. It is
simply a shame that such a comparatively simple business
as conspirative correspondence with Russia (fullypossible
even in wartime) turns out to be so very badly organised.
This is one of the most essential things. (I hope you have
had adetailed discussionof this withNadezhda
Konstantinovnain your letters, and will do so yet as circumstantially
as possible.) The most vital thing is to establish regular
contact, to bring over from Russia at least two or three
leading workers, if only to Sweden, for the most detailed
talks and correspondence, in order to reach complete
“harmony”. I hope Belenin’s visit will bring a marked
improvement in this sphere. To do the round trip fast, to
establish new connections, to collect the news—that is now
the key to the whole of our work, and without it it’s no
use even looking to the
future.[4]

Weare thinking over a plan to publish manifestos and
leaflets for transportation to Russia. We have not yet
decided where they are to be published, here or in the
Scandinavian countries. We should select the cheapest alternative,
because the distance does not
matter.[1]

Withall my best wishes,Yours,Lenin

[1]Thelust two sentences in the MS. have been struck out.—Ed.

[2]Duringhis trip to arrange the transportation of Bolshevik
literature to Russia, A. G. Shlyapnikov discovered in Vardö (a port
in the north of Norway) a stock of literature left over from 1906
and 1907, when the illegal shipping arrangements were
disrupted. It included sets of the Bolshevik newspapersVperyodandProletary, and various pamphlets. A part of this literature was
sent to Russia on Lenin’s instructions.

[3]Areference to: =

1) a resolution on the attitude to non-proletarian
parties adopted at the London Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. in
1907; =

2) a resolution on the Narodniks adopted by the August
(Summer) 1913 Joint Conference of the Central Committee of
the R.S.D.L.P. and Party officials (seeKPSS v
resolyutsiyakh..., Part One, 1954, pp. 164–65 and 316–17).

[4]Areference to A. G. Shlyapnikov’s illegal trip to Russia.